With all that's happened with the Big East and ACC in the last couple of years, it's time for Notre Dame to stop cherry-picking. The Big East has been helping re-build ND's basketball program(s). ND sucked when they first joined the Conference. Now even the women's hoop team is Top 10. Yet they continue to look the other way when the Big East got taken to the cleaners by the ACC (some very shady negotiations). I think the Big East should've said "all or nothing" a few years back. I noticed on www.fanslogon.com that the Big East is now 1-5 versus Top 25 teams, while ND sit alone. I'm starting to wonder if ND will reap the rewards, get in better position, and then say "so long" and leave the schools that have helped them high-and-dry. I hope that's not the case. Any comments from ND fans out there?

We all have our biases. Their differences is what makes this forum interesting. To understand you, I (we) need to know where you are coming from. For example: I pull for a SEC team, and therefore am more concerned with how the BE and MWC might effect the BCS than whiter or not either keep/get an auto bid. You pull for a BE team, and want the BE to keep their BCS bid whiter the MWC gets one or not. Fine. Which team in the BE do you pull for? Is it ND or Syracuse? This is important for us to understand since it would tell us what the best case scenario would be for your team.

I am interesting in what Syracuse fans think about a break off of the basketball schools. Since Syracuse was all but packed on its way to the ACC, do the fans of Syracuse have renewed allegiance with the old basketball schools of St John's and Georgetown now that ACC plans are history.

The purpose for this question clearly will position Notre Dame to make a decision on its football future.

I personally think the BE needs a 9th football member ASAP. With the recent 12 game permanent schedule, the BE is the only BCS conference that has 7 conference games per member. All other BCS conferences have 8 conference games that are counted as BCS games. This benefits rankings and polls and losing conference BCS games are not as harmful as losing to non BCS games or for that matter other OOC BCS games.

This puts the BE at a big disadvantage without 9 football members.

Since most think the idea of BE taking the ACCish approach and expanding with MWC teams is not practical or maybe ethical, the next best thing for the Big East football schools would be to break away and add a 9th all sports member.

If the BE football schools decide to split, Notre Dame will need to come along for minor bowl deals, etc.

This would be the best approach to getting Notre Dame closer to BE membership for football. The school could always option to join the Big 10 down the road, however, BE would allow Notre Dame to keep its TV contract with NBC.

Notre Dame was in serious talks with the BE football schools after Syracuse, BC, and Miami were in the old ACC plans and BE football schools were considering going separate ways. It seems reasonable to think the school would go with the football schools and not remain with basketball catholic league.

It would be baby steps for Notre Dame to eventually decide what is best for that school.

ND will play 3 to 4 football games and will play each of the current 8 football members over a certain period of years.

So, for anyone saying Notre Dame is not interested in playing Cincinnati and South Florida are very wrong on assumptions.

Notre Dame would continue to help bring the Gator/Sun to the Big East football schools.

Notre Dame will be on home schedules of each of the current 8 football members over certain period of time helping with future BE football TV contract.

So, it just seems time for the BE football schools to part ways and pick a 9th football member (right now toss up between Central Fl and Memphis or could be some upstart team), and take Notre Dame as 10 all sports members and Notre Dame as partial football (for now).

In some ways, this arrangement would be a win/win for both Notre Dame and Big East football schools. Notre Dame would continue to be eligible for BCS and not take the BCS slot of a current BE school.

If Notre Dame joined right away, the school would very soon start to dominate and take the BCS slot in most years. This way, it will allow more time for the BE football schools to build reputation and help more teams with BCS experience.

Actually with this arrangement, Notre Dame could remain independent indefinitely and continue to help the BE football schools with minor bowls and TV contracts.

I think the perception of the Big East for football would change immediately by having 10 all sports members. From appearance sake or cosmetic purposes, Notre Dame would appear very much like a Big East team without having to commit or give up independence status for football.

If push comes to shove, the BE could negotiate with the BCS to have option of taking Notre Dame or a BE football member in years a BE football school did not rank in top 10.

This way, no BCS bowl would object to BE membership as Notre Dame would bring TV ratings regardless of its ranking. In years where BE football school was doing fine, no reason the BE champion and Notre Dame could not make the BCS just like at large teams make BCS from other BCS conferences.

I agree with you... BABE + 1 team + 1 ND in for everything but FB. FB is a 3 games (hopefully more) + bowl deals. Adding 4 CUSA teams won't do it.

I don't think that the BE should negotiate the BCS bid with ND but if that's what the BE has to do... then so be it. Since the BCS is going to goto 10 games, I see no reason why both couldn't have separate deals (that is of course the BE doesn't go into the tank with the BCS rankings).

PantherSC97, sometimes a week makes all the difference is how a conference looks on paper.

With Louisville pounding North Carolina this past week end and big wins already over Oregon St and Kentucky, and WVU back in the most important Coaches poll top 25 that counts toward BCS, the Big East is looking good at this point concerning BCS.

If the winner of next weeks Louisville/WVU runs the table, one of those schools will be close or in the top 10 by BCS bowl time.

So don't think the Notre Dame sharing BCS with BE will be necessary. It is a nice to have as a safety net if needed someday.

I think Central Florida is suddenly looking like a potential future candidate for number 9 and would provide a nice travel partner for South Florida. If they build a new on campus stadium and new basketball arena as planned, the school would go along very nicely with South Florida. Again, what a difference a couple weeks makes on paper. Could change in the next two weeks as well.

Don't think any of the other 7 football schools and Notre Dame would mind a long weekend trip to Orlando and Tampa during the winter months.

I am waiting for a response from Syracuse fans on potential thinking of a BABE +1 + ND for all sports and partial football.

Just get the feeling that Syracuse will have the deciding vote on split verses keeping status quo of 16. Could be wrong with this thinking.

Assuming the winner of WVU or UL win out, I think they will at least be top15 before the BCS game because the other conferences are going to be in their conference games now meaning the top teams from the SEC, ACC, and Big10 are potentially facing each other and perhaps bound to lose at least one, maybe two games.

I know of at least 1 SU fan that said some SU people are worried about a split because of what it may mean to BB. SU was one of the founders of the BE and would miss games against St. Johns, VU, GT, SH, and Prov.

SU makes a lot of money in BB like UNC so I don't know how attendance would be affected by such a split. For example, when you only have 6 Home games with 40k attedance for FB but have 20 home games and 20k attendacne you can see the difference.

Also remember that Buzz Shaw and JC agreed to a split from the BE basketball schools in 2003 before BC left - the vote was 6-0. I realize that SU has new leadership in the AD and President but I think everyone realizes the best solution may be to split.......

It will all come down to the numbers. If the numbers favor a split, then I think it will happen.

Maybe BE fans from RU, WVU, Pitt, UConn, and SU will miss the games against GT, VU, SH, and St. Johns but its not like they can schedule them nonconference. In addition, with the 16 team conference the way it is there is no guarentee that they would face their old foes anyway considering how the BE 16-team conference schedule was made with each team missing 2 conference members.

Last edited by panthersc97 on Mon Oct 10, 2005 4:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.

PantherSC97, good points and will be interesting to get more Syracuse input. Syracuse was leaving for the ACC and giving up on old BE rivals and the NYC basketball tournament. With Louisville, Cincinnati in a home and home mix, attendance should not suffer at Syracuse for basketball.

I agree the big question is basketball revenue on benefits of split. The NCAA bids will be a wash. The new BE 16 is projected to make up wards form 16 to 20 million in basketball TV renewal and the BE tournament is well established for TV as well with all tournament games on TV and the same network.

It probably comes down to how well the BABE would make in basketball TV revenue. With 10 members, the conference would need to net 10 million which seems reasonable especially if Notre Dame remained as all sports except football. The basketball program gets good TV results as well.

There was a reason that Cincinnati was picked over more football orientated schools to ensure basketball remained top notch in a split.

If Notre Dame takes up one of the 10 all sports spots, this argument would favor Memphis to assist with Syracuse attendance. I actually like Central Fl, however, the school has much to prove in both football and basketball reputation. Memphis is prove on basketball side and pays the coach one of the highest salaries in all of college basketball and attendance is awesome as well.

More reasons to get Syracuse fans perspective on BABE possibilities.

As a fan, I would much prefer the BABE +1 + ND over the 16 team alignment.

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